In Their Shadow

Chapter 34

Naruko cradled the knocked out and bloody form of Yumito, her face stained with tears. She stood up, and picked his unconscious form up, placing him on her back as she planned on heading back to their camp where Sasuke still remained injured.

Snap.

The sound of a twig cracking under the weight of something larger made Naruko immediately tense up, head swiveling to the direction of the sound as her eyes lit crimson.

"Wow there! Calm down! Its okay...I'm here to help..." The man said as he held his hands up in surrender.

Naruko appeared shaken as she took a deep breath, looking the man over with suspicion.

"You're...That guy from the first exams...Kabuto Yakushi right?" She asked, her guard loosened but not yet let down.

"Y-Yeah...I taught Yuma first level medical ninjutsu...I'm only here to help...alright?" He said, slowly walking over to them, the crimson slits in Naruko's eyes fading away and returning to her usual cerulean.

"...Okay. Can you check him?" Naruko asked hesitantly.

"Sure." He said, feigning a smile, and getting on one knee as Naruko set Yuma's body down on the grassy ground.

"Now...Lets see what we got here..." Kabuto said, his hands alighting in a green aura as Naruko watched over the procedure.

"...Huh? That's weird..." He said aloud.

"What? What is it? Is he okay!?" Naruko asked in a frantic manner.

"Y-Yeah, its just...He isn't injured at all?" Kabuto said.

"Huh?" Naruko asked, quickly looking over Yuma's body.

"...You're right...Then why did he pass out?" Naruko asked, bewildered by his lack of damage.

"Probably chakra exhaustion. He'll wake up in a few hours on his own, or I could feed him a food pill and-!?"

"No! He's been through enough!" Naruko said, glaring daggers at the hand Kabuto was using to reach into his pocket and procure a food pill.

"O-Okay...Hey."

"What?" Naruko asked.

"These feet, no matter how you slice it, they aren't normal." Kabuto said aloud, eliciting a frown from Naruko as he poked his finger through the mist like appendage, gasping as his finger came out from the other side.

'Lord Orochimaru...Just what power did you gift this boy?'

Kabuto stared at the three toed shadow-like appendage that now stood in for Yuma's severed feet with morbid fascination. Holding back a grin, he turned to Naruko with as much of a serious expression he could muster.

"He appears to be fine. But I assume your other teammate is not, otherwise he would be here. Would you like me to have a look at him?" Kabuto asked the golden haired prodigy.

"R-Really? B-But what about your teammates?" Naruko asked.

"They all...died..." Kabuto forced out, feigning sadness.

"O-Oh...I see, sorry for your loss." Naruko said, averting her gaze, feeling guilty for even asking the question.

'How gullible.'

"Well, they wouldn't want me to grieve. Anyways, lets go help out your other teammate." Kabuto said, pushing up his glasses.

"Y-yeah, lets go..." Naruko said, now trusting the man.

The two lept into the tree tops soon after, Yuma resting on Naruko's back. Naruko held a look of worry, as she and kabuto traveled to the place she had left Sasuke at.